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But then a realization vastly different from these lovely moments came to Shirleen’s mind. At this very moment, Speckled Fawn was sitting vigil at her husband’s side, alone, sad, and possibly afraid for her future.
Shirleen had heard Speckled Fawn worry aloud more than once about what might happen to her after her husband passed away.
“I would like to go and check on Speckled Fawn, if you wouldn’t mind sitting with Megan for a while,” Shirleen said. “I would like to take her some of this wonderful breakfast food, too.”
“You go to her,” Bright Sun urged, already on her feet and carrying the tray to the closed entrance flap. “Take this. I had planned to take her food later, but now is alright.”
“Thank you,” Shirleen said. She bent low and kissed Megan. “I will not be gone long. Have fun playing dolls, okay?”
Megan smiled and nodded, then seemed not even to notice when Shirleen left the tepee.
Shirleen went to Speckled Fawn’s tepee and quietly spoke her name outside.
Speckled Fawn came and lifted the flap, nodding for Shirleen to come inside. She motioned toward a thick pile of pelts.
Shirleen sat down, and when Speckled Fawn sat beside her, Shirleen handed the tray of food to her.
“I am not hungry,” Speckled Fawn said, ignoring the offering.
“But you must eat,” Shirleen softly encouraged, feeling oddly out of place with Dancing Shadow there so close, so quiet, dressed in his finest attire for burial.
“Food is the last thing I wish to think about,” Speckled Fawn said as she gazed lovingly at Dancing Shadow. “These are my final moments with my husband. I just can’t eat.”
“I have come to see if you are alright, and to bring you food,” Shirleen said, slowly rising.
She swallowed hard as she gazed at the old, silent man.
She had seen many dead people before, lying in repose in their coffins just prior to burial. But seeing a dead body was never easy.
“Thank you,” Speckled Fawn said, not rising to walk Shirleen to the entranceway. “I will remain here, keeping vigil at my husband’s side until his burial.”
“I understand,” Shirleen said, then hurried away.
Outside, she stopped abruptly, her mind suddenly on Blue Thunder. It was known that warriors sometimes died while on the hunt. Killing buffalo could be a dangerous pursuit.
She shook such worries from her mind and hurried back to her tepee.
Her thoughts went to Earl, and she wondered briefly how Blue Thunder could have forgotten about him so quickly. Surely Earl would be leaving on the riverboat today or tomorrow, depending on how high the river had risen.
If he got away. . . . !
No, she would not think about that.
The most important thing was that Megan was finally with her, safe and sound, rescued from her brutal father!
Chapter Thirty
I’ll tell you how the sun rose . . .
A ribbon at a time.
—Dickinson
Blue Thunder and his warriors had arrived just in time to see the paddlewheeler pulling in to its mooring place. They had hidden themselves and watched as several people walked across a wooden plank from the ground to the riverboat.
Blue Thunder’s eyes looked carefully from person to person as each took his turn walking over the plank. The water splashed noisily against the sides of the boat, and lapped much higher than usual against the shore.
A few women screamed with fear as they inched across the plank, while others remained as long as possible on dry land, almost too afraid to move.
